Test drive BRZ, Cayman S, and...?
 

1. 2007 Cayman S
2. BRZ
3. ???

My buddy wants to test drive 3 cars before deciding which to buy but is having trouble coming up with a 3rd candidate. Coming from an Explorer this will be his first sports car I believe. He wants it for daily driving and time attack tracking a couple times a year.

His Criteria:
- RWD (or AWD)
- Good handling
- < $40,000

NOT interested in:
- Miata
- S2000
- RX8
- 370z
- Gen coupe
- Mustang
- Corvette
- BMW

He's test driven a 07 Cayman S and was really impressed by it especially by it's power. Only (minor) negative criticism he had about it was that the passenger footwell slants inward at an angle that prevented him from sitting with both feet straight so a long drive might get a little cramped for a passenger.

He hasn't test driven a BRZ yet.

His friends time attack with a 2011 Camero V6 and a 2010 WRX STI. He hasn't ruled either of those out but he's not very excited about either of them.


Any thoughts on a 3rd test drive candidate?

Audi S4/RS4 (if you can find it used, cheap, or good condition)?

Just curious, why isnt interest in an s2k?

He isn't looking at convertibles.

I have both the Evo X and the BRZ. I'd argue these are the two best handling cars(new) under $50k.

I was just going to suggest Evo X. You can get one used for about the same or maybe less than a new BRZ.

-Lexus ISF, Audi S/RS4, Caddy CTS-V, Merc C63 (beast sport sedans that can hold their own on track). ATS is supposed to be well received too.
-Lotus Elise/Exige/Evora (though as a daily the Exige and Elise would probably be bad candidates).
-Used Pontiac G8? Pretty much a holden commodore SS sedan or something....

He's pretty much eliminated the entire plethora of sporty/sports/power cars on with that list lol.

Half of those are a hard top.

If you're gonna tell him to take a look at the s4/rs4, then might as well cross shop the 335i/335is/m3

He said no BMW, but DIDNT rule out the other luxury brands :P

Make sure part of the test drive involves the service dept and a quick quote on the next few services, brake changes, oil changes, etc.

Definitely the Evo X. For a tall/heavy AWD sedan, it handles quite well and gives good steering feedback. Was surprising for me coming from an STI.

Might also consider a used Lotus Elise, 911, and NSX.

Why specifically 3 cars? It sounds like he's already ruled out pretty much all of the other possibilities in that price range. Personally, if I wanted to test drive something else in that price range, I might look at a C5 or C6 Z06 corvette with low(ish) miles, or possibly a Mustang GT w/ track pack, but he's already ruled them out. That having been said, I think the best option in that price range will be the Cayman (not that I'm biased or anything, since I own an 06)...

Evo's always have been better pure driving machines then sti's @DarkSunrise so why the surprise?

Find a sub-30k air-cooled 911 and test drive it (provided he can afford the maintenance).

To add to what I wrote. The other question is how important is track driving, and does he plan to modify the car a little or some?

The Evo X is a good candidate tracking out of the box, with just tires, brakes/fluid, and a simple tune. As well you can add power pretty reliability with it, without going too crazy either. The Evo is just an awesome platform to grow with. But like others have said, isn't the lightest car either.

The BRZ is a better daily car though, at least in terms of comfort, but definitely not utility. The BRZ has only been around for a little, but making more power and being reliable may still be a question mark, on top of being more complex compared to the Evo.

So that poses another question, how important is power to him?

3) FR-S

CTS-V, 997 911, or stretch the budget and find an Evora

Buy the Cayman S and call it a day

TOYOTA SUPRA

O
M
G

If I were looking for a Cayman, I'd stick with a MY2009 or later due to the IMS issue:
http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforum...-cayman-s.html

If u can afford a cayman, 3 and best choice is lotus elise or exige

used Audi TTS

TTRS (over 40k tho)

Lotus

It should be noted that the G37 is a four seat 370Z. The OP's friend might consider a Lexus IS350.

Cayman S over a TTRS all day.

Sounds to me like he just wants the BRZ ;)

If he can afford the maintenance the Cayman is the way to go. I had to pick between the new Boxter and the BRZ. I picked the BRZ. I drive 20k a year. I just could not do that to the Boxter. I have used the Rear seat in the BRZ a Few times.

Does your buddy have a budget in mind?

03-04 Z06

Well, before he drove the Cayman S, he had said that if he needed to go out and buy a car today, it would be a BRZ. Having test driven the Cayman, that may change after he test drives a BRZ.

Under $40,000 USD. Not really looking to mod but if it made sense and was affordable, then he would.

Normally maintenance on the Cayman would be a problem but he was offered a 2007 Cayman S with a 5 year bumper-to-bumper warranty. Doesn't know if that included oil changes.

^I would go for that Cayman S then. 5 year warranty?! Who cares if it doesn't include oil changes. They're like $120 a pop (at most) and would only need to be done 2-3 times a year (assuming synthetic oil).

Coming from my STI, I just associated certain negative traits with tall/heavy AWD cars: sub-par steering, body roll, and understeer. Driving the Evo X was a nice surprise. When you're used to daily driving an STI, it can catch you off guard how well the Evo is setup from the factory.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUhLXvxlQR4"]Toyota GT86 / Scion FR-S v Nissan 370Z v Used Porsche Cayman S - CHRIS HARRIS ON CARS - YouTube[/ame]

Evo X. If you're looking for a used one, be aware that it could have been beaten on by its previous owner.

Exige S. My dream car!

Mustang GT

Honestly, I think that issue is a bit overblown on the 987 engines. The 986 Boxster was problematic (and I wouldn't want one), but the IMS bearing in the 987.1 is quite a bit more robust. Yes, it still fails on occasion, but the failure rate is pretty low (if you're prone to worrying though, the 2009 did eliminate that issue altogether, as you said).

^personally it's not something I would worry about. Plus '09+ Cayman S's (987.2) cost a significant amount more than the earlier ones.